50 years have passed since the emblematic Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the Salazar dictatorship, started by António de Oliveira Salazar, which lasted 48 years, and allowed the rise of democracy in Portugal in 1974.
At this moment, while Portuguese politicians celebrate the act, the feeling that permeates the society of the small European country is one of dissatisfaction.
This feeling was highlighted by a survey published by the Portuguese newspaper News Diary this Thursday (25th), the day of celebration of the 50th anniversary of the revolution. The survey shows that more than half of Portuguese people (51%) are unhappy with the current state of the country's democracy, and an even larger portion (67%) believe that politicians do not care about the interests of the people.
The survey also showed that 39% of those interviewed consider that their lives have gotten worse in recent years, and only 33% of Portuguese people have hopes of improvement in the short term. The areas of Housing and Justice, according to the survey, are those that generate the most discontent in Portuguese society, with 69% and 64% of dissatisfaction, respectively.
Despite general skepticism, belief in the power of voting remains high, with 85% of respondents believing in its effectiveness. Furthermore, 67% of Portuguese people still find representation in at least one political party in the country.
Portugal held a parliamentary election in March, where the nationalist right and the center-right managed to obtain an excellent performance. Luís Montenegro, the leader of the center-right coalition that won this election, assumed the post of prime minister, which had been held since 2015 by the socialist António Costa, who resigned from the position in November last year amid a corruption scandal.
When asked in the survey about how to improve democracy, 33% of Portuguese respondents suggested the need for better political leaders, and 26% advocated for more informed and engaged citizens. Economic prosperity, equality and reform of the electoral system were also mentioned in the survey. Dissatisfaction with politicians may reflect a negative perception of living conditions.
Hope for improvement in the future is not encouraging, with 31% of Portuguese people believing that the country's situation will worsen, especially for individuals who have a lower income.
Analysts point out that this scenario of skepticism favored the strengthening of Chega in the last elections. A nationalist right-wing party founded in 2019 and led by André Ventura, Chega expanded its parliamentary representation to 50 deputies, becoming the third largest political force in Portugal.
Vicente Valentim, political scientist at the University of Oxford, told the agency Reuters that some Portuguese voted for Chega because they felt “left behind” by previous representatives.
Although Chega distances itself from comments about the Salazar dictatorship, a March survey pointed out that it is the party's voters who most demonstrate “nostalgia and longing” for the period. Politicians from the party, such as Pedro Pinto, have also made comments favorable to the Salazar period.
Commenting on the cases, Ventura has already said that his party is a “space of freedom”.
“I believe there are people [no partido que admirem Salazar]. We have to lose this thing that everything that comes from the Estado Novo is bad and everything that comes from the 25th of April is good”, he stated in January 2022.
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